Introduction
To begin with, it is necessary to mention that child abuse is regarded to be one of the most serious crimes, which the contemporary community challenges nowadays. Moreover, it is one of the most heart-wrenching. Originally it is a sly type of crime when a victim is afraid of the consequences of confronting or complaining about the perpetrator. However, there is a component that is not so clearly represented in other crimes: a third party, who has observed the abuse or the consequences of abuse has the legal obligation and reasonable cause of reporting the abuse to the corresponding authorities.
Legal Obligations
As for the legal obligations, the regard of the problem from this point of view is well-defined. As Shull (2002) states in his research: “federal laws provided funding for efforts to prevent and treat child abuse and neglect, it is important to understand that child abuse and neglect are State crimes. The fifty states and the District of Columbia have child protection service agencies that investigate reports of child abuse, offer services to at-risk families, and bring charges against abusive parents. Children may be removed from a home and placed in Foster Care for various periods.” From this point of view, it is necessary to mention that the law presupposes the termination of parental rights, and the child may become available for adoption. It should be stated that the federal law in all the states of the USA requires persons such as teachers, counselors, social service providers, mental health professionals, and physicians to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect. (MacDonald, 2001) Moreover, the refusal or failure to report the suspected child abuse may cause criminal prosecution. On the other hand, civil liability may be rather a serious penalty for abusing children, or not reporting the cases of abuse. Gilbert (1997) in his turn emphasizes the following: “There are many attempts underway to remedy the underlying causes of child abuse, but, until it is eliminated states have unanimously responded with laws specifically designed to identify and punish child abusers.”
Talking to Mary
Originally, since children do not eagerly reveal the fact of abuse, there is a strong necessity to get to know it from them rather delicately, in order not to shock a child, or not to frighten her. A Child Protection Service Agency should be informed first, however, it is necessary to know the character of a child for defining the way of talking o her, and get to know, if she will be able to confirm the abuse for the representative of the agency.
Consequences to Mary’s Future
The consequences will depend on the manner of Mary’s psychological rehabilitation after that psycho trauma. The fact is that such abuses often cause essential difficulties for these children in communication with their peers of the opposite sex, especially when the adolescent period starts. However, if May realizes that everything has passed, and there is no reason to worry or fear and will overcome the psychological shock, there may be absolutely no consequences for her and her future life. Thus, everything depends on the politeness, accuracy, and professionalism of the teachers and Child Protection Service Agency workers.
References
- Austin, J. S. (2000, Fall). When a child discloses sexual abuse. Childhood Education, 77 (1), 2-5.
- Gilbert, Neil, ed. Combatting Child Abuse International Perspectives and Trends. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.
- MacDonald, Geraldine. Effective Interventions for Child Abuse and Neglect: An Evidence-Based Approach to Planning and Evaluating Interventions. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2001.
- Schwartz-Kenney, Beth M., Michelle McCauley, and Michelle A. Epstein, eds. Child Abuse: A Global View. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2001.
- Shull, J. Robert. “Emotional and Psychological Child Abuse: Notes on Discourse, History, and Change.” Stanford Law Review 51.6 (2002): 1665.